


If Tomorrow Never Comes

by mtothedestiel



Series: Garth Brooks 'Verse [6]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Country & Western, Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Movie Night, Music, New Parents, Reconciliation, Singer Dean, Tickling, garth brooks 'verse, past homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-03 20:24:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1756253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mtothedestiel/pseuds/mtothedestiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean Winchester, a famous country musician, and Cas, the love of his life, welcome a new member to their family, and Dean's father reaches out to heal their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the wait, this bit has been a long time coming. The theme of this part of the story is about Dean and John's relationship, but we also get to meet the baby finally! As usual I recommend you listen to the title song, and please leave me your feedback! The second chapter will be a flashback to just after Dean and Cas go public. Enjoy!

One week after new dads Dean and Castiel brought Mary Margaret Winchester-Novak home from the hospital, Dean answered their front door to find one nervous and excited John Winchester on the other side.

“I brought provisions,” John promised, holding up a few plastic bags with what looked like sub sandwiches and chips. 

“Hey dad,” Dean greeted with an exhausted grin, ushering John inside before catching him in a rough hug, “You didn’t have to bring anything.”

“Hey dad, yourself,” John joked gruffly, clapping Dean on the back, “I figured you two could use a little sustenance.  How’s the baby?”

“She’s perfect,” Dean answered, taking the bags from his father’s hands, “Loud, but perfect.”

“Sounds like a set of healthy Winchester lungs,” John quipped, shrugging off his jacket.  His dad’s wardrobe hadn’t changed much since Dean was a kid watching his dad perform in honky tonk bars.  The same old flannel and denim, only nowadays he ironed his shirts and he never smelled like beer.  Dean scrubbed a hand over his face as he placed their dinner on the kitchen counter.

“You look a little worn out,” John noted, no doubt observing the circles under Dean’s eyes, “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean demurred, hanging up his dad’s coat, “Just newborn stuff.”

“That man of yours pulling his weight?” John teased, fidgeting a little in their entryway.

“Are you kidding?” Dean laughed, “Cas is the baby champ.  I’m the deadbeat here, what with the new album press.”

“I’m sure you’re both doin’ great.”

Dean warmed under his father’s praise, so freely given nowadays.  John had made a real turnaround, and the distance and anger Dean remembered from his younger years was long gone.

“Come on, I’ll let you do an inspection,” Dean invited, leading his father down the hall.

“I-uh-I made a little something for her,” John spoke up as they made their way to the nursery, handing Dean a CD in one of those anonymous jewel color cases, “Bobby got me a little studio time for it.”

Dean paused, to look down at the disc, where _For Mary_ was scribbled in black sharpie.

“I did a bunch of the songs your mom used to love,” John explained, “The old classic stuff she used to sing to you and Sammy.  It’s just the guitar, real soft.  Figured you’d still know the words.”

“Yeah,” Dean agreed, taking the CD, “I sure do.  This is great, dad.”

Dean gripped the disc between his fingers, wishing more than anything that Mary Winchester could have lived to meet her namesake.  At least Maggie would have his mother’s music, if not her voice.

The two Winchester men shared the moment, then John clapped Dean on the shoulder and they made their way to the baby’s room where Castiel and Maggie were waiting for them.

“Knock knock,” Dean called, peering into the softly lit nursery, “We’ve got a visitor.”

“Dads and grandpas only,” Cas answered dryly, looking up at Dean with a tired smile.  Immediately Dean was drawn across the room to his partner, bending to press a kiss to Castiel’s stubbled cheek.  Cas was feeding the baby in the deep green corduroy armchair they’d picked out to compliment the cheerful yellow walls, their daughter’s swaddled form nestled safely in his arms.  Mary Margaret was finishing off her bottle eagerly, eyes flicking to Dean in interest as she noticed his presence. 

“How’s our girl?” Dean asked quietly, heart fluttering as he brushed one hand over the downy blonde hair that nearly matched the color of his own when he was an infant.   

“Hungry, but happy, it would seem,” Castiel observed, before greeting Dean’s father warmly, “Hello John.  It’s good to see you.”

“’M real glad to be here,” John responded, still hovering by the doorway.

“Come on in, dad,” Dean invited, “Come meet your granddaughter.”

Cas set the bottle aside before handing Maggie over carefully, letting John take the armchair as he cradled her head in the crook of his arm with a familiarity that put an ache in Dean’s chest.  Once settled, Mary Margaret set her serious blue eyed gaze on her grandfather, eyeing her temporary new caretaker critically.

_Already like Cas,_ Dean thought to himself as his daughter hiccupped in John’s arms.

“Hello, baby girl,” John cooed, “I hear you’re keeping your daddies up nights.”

Maggie scrunched up her little nose, batting one flannel wrapped fist at her grandfather, who chuckled.

“Already got some fight in ‘ya, that’s good.”

An arm snaked around Dean’s waist and he leaned into Castiel’s touch, finding comfort in his partner’s hold just like always.  Castiel had shadows under his eyes to match Dean’s, but his smile was beatific.  Fatherhood suited Cas.  It suited them both.  Dean caught Castiel’s free hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing his knuckles as Maggie cooed.

There was a rough sniffle and Dean realized that his father was _crying._

“Mary Margaret,” John Winchester declared wetly, “You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Maggie’s tiny brow furrowed and John laughed, despite the tears dripping into his graying scruff.

“Dad,” Dean spoke softly, putting a hand on his dad’s shoulder, “You okay?”

“Sorry,” John muttered, wiping his eyes before he looked up at Dean, “For a second there she looked just like your mom.”

The ache in Dean’s chest sharpened for a second, and he just squeezed John’s shoulder a little tighter.

“Look, why don’t you two have some dinner?” John offered after a moment, clearing his throat, “God forbid sit down for an hour.  I can handle the little one.  If that’s alright with you, I mean.”

Dean looked to Cas, who shrugged and smiled, and he smiled as well.  A few years ago Dean would have never been comfortable leaving John alone with his kid.  Luckily after a lot of hard work on John’s part and some painful healing on both sides Mary Margaret was going to be able to have her grandfather in her life.  A grandfather who could hold down the fort while Dean and Cas took a minute to rest.  Thank God.

“That’d be great, Dad.  Thanks.”

* * *

The soft acoustic melodies of Dolly Parton and June Carter emanated from Maggie’s nursery as Dean and Cas collapsed together on the sofa, sharing the hearty sandwiches John had brought.  Dean fed Cas chips from a foil bag until his partner dozed off against his shoulder.  Dean smiled and kissed Castiel’s mussed hair, listening to his dad’s rumbling voice as he sang his granddaughter to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean gets an unexpected call from his estranged father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a flashback! this bit takes place long before Mary Margaret is even thought of.

“Okay,” Castiel was saying as Dean carried two heaping bowls of popcorn into the living room, “Are we in the mood for cowboys, space cowboys, or just plain space?”

Cas was stretched in sweatpants on their carpet, perusing his top three selections from their DVD case.  Dean placed their movie snacks on the coffee table before landing a playful smack on Castiel’s ass and snatching _Serenity_ out of his grasp.

“Space cowboys every time,” Dean quipped, sliding the disk into their DVD player before joining his partner on the floor.

“Says the guy who made me watch five _Alien_ films last time he had a weekend off,” Castiel grumbled as the pseudo-western theme music of the movie menu started up.  He yelped as Dean rolled over on top of him without warning, pinning Cas into the carpet as Dean tickled at his sensitive lower ribs.

“Those movies are _classics_ , assbutt,” Dean teased as Castiel gasped and laughed under him.

“ _Oh god-_ no-stop- _Dean_ -“

Dean laughed wickedly, the buzzing of his cell phone on the table distracting him from exacting horrible tickling revenge for Castiel’s slight against one of his favorite film franchises.  With a final brush of Cas’ ribs and a smiling kiss planted against his temple, Dean heaved himself up from the floor in time to grab his phone before it went to voicemail.  Charlie had been real thorough when she’d white listed their phones from paparazzi, so Dean didn’t bother to check the ID before he answered.

“Dean here,” he chimed, winking at Cas who was still panting red faced on the floor.  There was a hesitant pause before the caller spoke up.   

“Dean?  It’s me.” Dean’s stomach sank like a stone as he recognized the older voice on the other end of the line.

“Dad?”  Castiel sat up in alarm as Dean sank onto the edge of the coffee table in shock, all traces of levity gone.

“Um, yeah,” John Winchester confirmed, “I wasn’t sure if this was still the right number to get a hold of 'ya.”

“What do you want?” Dean asked shortly.  He hadn’t heard from his dad in over a year.  This was the man who’d taught him to play guitar, how to use the energy of a crowd to your best advantage.  It was also the man who’d cut him off completely when Dean had tried to come out to his family, and told him his mother would have been horrified.

“I-uh-well, I heard about you speakin’ up on that morning show a few weeks back,” John began, voice hesitant for the first time in Dean’s life, “When you told all those folks about your boyfriend.  Partner, I mean.”

“Yeah?” Dean grunted, mentally preparing himself for the barrage of abuse that was no doubt on his way.  It was unnatural.  He was throwing away his career _and_ his brother’s on a mistake.  Country music wouldn’t give a shit about him now that they knew he was queer.  Nothin’ he hadn’t heard from his dad before.  Cas took his hand and Dean squeezed it reassuringly.  If John lit into him this time, he would just hang up.

“Yeah,” John continued, “Yeah I heard what you said.  And I know we haven’t been talking lately but I just wanted to say I’m…”

“What, Dad?” Dean prompted, just wishing it could be over with.  _Disappointed.  Embarrassed.  Ashamed._

“Proud,” John declared, after a pause, “I’m proud of you.”

“What?”  Dean breathed, surprised beyond measure.  Castiel was looking at him in concern, ready to jump to his defense no doubt, but Dean shook his head, waiting for his dad to go on.

“I know it was a big risk to stand up for yourself like that,” his father continued, “I’m not sure I would have had the strength.”

“Where’s all this coming from?” Dean asked, still filled with disbelief in the face of his father’s praise.

“Bobby ‘n Ellen have been helping me dry out,” John explained, “And I’ve been rethinking a lot of my life.  Regretting a lot of my choices.  A lot of them in regards to you.”

“Yeah, me too,” Dean responded, trying to keep the anger out of his voice, “You really broke me for a while.  If Cas hadn’t been there…”  His dad sounded genuinely remorseful, and Dean wanted to be honest with him.  John had made his share of parenting mistakes, but his rejection of Dean’s sexuality had been one of the most painful moments of Dean’s life.

“I said some awful shit,” John agreed, “Things no son should ever hear from his father and I know Mary would have been ashamed of me if she’d been there.”

“Dad…”

“No, really, Dean,” John cut him off, “Your mama would be proud of what you’ve done.  She’d be proud of the life you’ve made, and I was too overcome with bitterness to see it.  I’m sorry.”

Dean’s eyes burned, and only Castiel’s touch grounded him enough to process the apology Dean had thought would never come.

“It means a lot to hear you say that,” Dean managed to choke out.  Cas looked relieved, and Dean nodded to confirm that the conversation was going in a positive direction.

“I made you wait too long to hear it, Dean-o,” John responded, a little choked up himself, “I want to make it up to you.  If you’re up for it.”

Dean swallowed, considering his father’s promise to make amends.  There was a lot of painful history between the Winchester brothers and their dad, but there were a handful of happy memories too, enough to make Dean miss John when he’d left.  Even with Cas, the Winchester family was too small to be kicking out members.

“Well,” Dean decided, “We can give it a shot, right?”

John laughed in affirmation, and Dean had a small recollection of his early childhood.  Just him and John and a very pregnant Mary in a bright kitchen, John laughing as he flipped pancakes on a griddle before handing them off to his wife.  Dean wanted that dad back.   

“I’d like to meet Castiel,” John spoke up, “If you’ll have me.  And if you two ever get around to workin’ on any grandkids, well…I’d sure like to meet them, too.”

Dean laughed in spite of himself.  “Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves,” he advised, “But uh…yeah, I want you to meet Cas.  Just um…give me some time, okay?”

“Sure son, anything you want,” John ceded, “Why don’t we meet up next time you’re in Nashville?  Just the two of us.  We could get some dinner and feel things out.”

“That sounds…good,” Dean agreed, “I’d like that.”

They managed to talk for another minute or two, awkward but hopeful conversation that ended with John telling Dean he was proud of him one last time.  As Dean ended the call he looked to Castiel in amazement. 

“That was my dad,” Dean informed him incredulously.  Castiel laughed, breaking the spell of the conversation and Dean smiled cautiously.

“I gathered,” Castiel noted, rubbing his hand over Dean’s belly in a comforting gesture, the _Serenity_ theme still thrumming in the background.  “How do you feel?”

“A little shocked,” Dean admitted looking down at the cell phone in his hands.  Castiel nodded, kissing the cotton over Dean’s shoulder.

“But?”  Dean considered his partner’s question.

“Happy,” he concluded, wrapping an arm around Castiel’s middle, “I think I’m happy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everybody for reading this far! your comments and kudos have been a big inspiration:DDD. My next segment is going to be much longer, still episodic but in the spirit of a full length fic because (Spoiler alert!)...it's time for a down home country wedding! I'm hoping to have the first chapter up by tomorrow!


End file.
